Two mothers in Co Donegal experienced the “worst day of their lives” after the tragic deaths of two teenage boys off the coastline, reports Breaking News.
Matt Sibanda, aged 18 and originally from Zimbabwe, and Emmaneul Familola, 16, originally from Nigeria, were reportedly playing football on Saturday when they entered the water to retrieve a ball and encountered trouble.
Mr Sibanda’s body was found in Lough Swilly later that evening, while Emmanuel was rescued and brought to Letterkenny University Hospital, where he passed away in the early hours of Sunday, reports Breaking News.
A vigil was organised in their honour in Buncrana on Sunday night, followed by another gathering on Monday evening in Londonderry.
The two boys had been residing with their families in separate international protection accommodations in Buncrana, reports Breaking News.
Ruth Garvey-Williams, who works with asylum seekers at The Exchange community centre, has been supporting both families and called the incident a “dreadful tragedy”.
She said Mr Sibanda was a “wonderful young man, kind and caring”, a strong student preparing for his Leaving Cert with hopes of starting college. Emmanuel, she said, was a “gentle giant” who volunteered at The Exchange and was known for looking after others, reports Breaking News.
“This is a such a dreadful tragedy to hit our community, and especially for those who are asylum seekers, who come here for safety… and have faced the worst day of their life with a loss, both mothers, the loss of their eldest son, so there’s heartbreak, absolute heartbreak here,” she told the BBC.
“These are amazing people who have fled terrible tragedies in their home countries, and have come to find safety here in Buncrana, and then to face this – it is every mother’s worst nightmare,” reports Breaking News.
She commended the Buncrana community for coming together to support the grieving families, saying the collective response has been “heart-warming”, reports Breaking News.
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